Introduction to Air Fryer Whole Chicken
An air fryer whole chicken will make the perfect weeknight dinner, because it’s healthy and easy. Plus, it takes less than five minutes to season, and less than an hour to cook! Roasted chicken is crispy on the outside yet juicy and moist on the inside. There are not many air fryer chicken recipes that could top this one!
What Size Air Fryer Works Best?
Want to make an air fryer whole chicken that cooks in under an hour? We’re here to help! But first, you’ll need an air fryer to follow along with our recipe. When making roast chicken, the bigger the air fryer basket the better. We recommend an air fryer between 6 and 10 quarts to ensure there is enough room to fit your chicken. If you have anything smaller you may need to follow along with our oven steps below. We’ve put together a list of our favorite air fryers below based on size and uses:
- 6 quart– Not too big making it great for couples and singles alike. This will cook a small chicken and also works great for reheating leftovers and frozen meals.
- 8 quart– A nice medium size air fryer with plenty of room for an air fryer whole chicken.
- 10 quart– The largest family sized air fryer we’ve tried. It works great for meatloafs, whole roast chicken, and other traditional air fryer recipes.
Any of these air fryers should work well for this recipe. Just make sure it is a large enough size for the bird you choose. If you do have a smaller air fryer make sure to purchase a smaller chicken.
Preventing a Dry Whole Roasted Chicken
Air fryer whole roast chicken can become dry if not properly cooked. To prevent dry chicken and make sure your’s is the most tender and juicy it could possibly be, follow our chicken cooking tips:
- Do Not Overcook– While simple in theory, it is very important you do not overcook the chicken. Don’t be afraid to open the air fryer basket and double check with a meat thermometer that it isn’t done early.
- Place Chicken Breast Side Down– When you place your chicken breast side down, you avoid the chicken breasts becoming too dry. Chicken breast will always cook first before the dark meat, no matter how much olive oil you use. Breast down air fryer chicken also prevents the legs from getting caught in the top of the air fryer basket.
- Be Patient– If you try and rush the chicken by bumping it up to 400 degrees you will find the chicken becomes very dry, very quickly. We cook on a lower temperature to prevent this, so don’t try to make an air fryer whole chicken in 20 minutes?
What to Make With an Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Looking for that perfect dish to go alongside your air fryer whole chicken? There are plenty of different low carb and keto side dishes on our website to make the best complete meal for you and your family. Make sure to make extra so you can have the best roasted chicken and sides tomorrow too! Some keto side ideas:
- Keto Roasted Butternut Squash– Butternut squash makes the perfect accompaniment to this warm roasted chicken. It’s sweet, salty, and roasted with olive oil for a flavorful treat!
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”– Who doesn’t love chicken and mashed potatoes? This recipe is a great option for those looking to make a comforting southern style plate.
- Sausage and Cauliflower Stuffing– Maybe you picked this whole air fryer chicken recipe for a lower carb, small scale Thanksgiving. Whatever the case, this flavorful stuffing is packed with meat, herbs, and veggies to make the perfect air fryer chicken side.
How to Make an Air Fryer Whole Chicken
This recipe won’t disappoint! It’s tender, juicy, and coated in spices and flavor. Plus it pairs perfectly with any of your favorite keto and low carb sides.
Equipment
This air fryer recipe requires just that, an air fryer! This will be the one real piece of equipment you need. Then you just need twine to tie your chicken legs together.
Ingredients
Start with a 3-5lb chicken depending on how many people you want to serve, as well as how big your air fryer is. Next you will need avocado oil or olive oil. The oil for air fryer you use is up to preference, but we choose avocado oil in this recipe because of its smoke point. The chicken will be in the air fryer for almost an hour so it may be worth the extra cost. Lastly you will need your spices. Pink Himalayan Salt and black pepper are always a must. We also used a homemade poultry seasoning which is linked in the recipe notes below. If you don’t want to make it, you can also purchase poultry seasoning for relatively cheap online.
Making Chicken in the Air Fryer
Begin by spraying the air fryer basket with cooking spray. You will then want to preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Preheating allows the skin to crisp when hitting the basket.
Next remove the innards from your chicken and tie the legs together. We used a heavy duty cooking twine.
Rub the chicken skin with oil and then sprinkle on your poultry seasoning. Make sure to rub it in well to coat the outside of the chicken. You can also season the inner cavity with salt and pepper if desired.
Place the chicken in the basket of your air fryer that it is now preheated and greased. The chicken should be placed breast side down to lock in all moisture.
Cook for 30 minutes. Flip the chicken to breast side up and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to ensure done-ness.
Feel free to wait a few minutes before carving in order to cool.
Storage and Leftovers
To store the whole chicken: Remove all remaining meat from the chicken carcass and place into an air tight container. It stores in the fridge for up to 4 days. We’ve included even more leftover recipe ideas below!
What to Make With Extra Chicken
Did you pick a chicken that was too big for your family? With a cook time of 1 hour we sure hope so, because leftovers means tons of easy recipes for the rest of the week. Some leftover ideas include:
- Keto grilled cheese sandwiches with chicken and avocado- Shred leftover rotisserie style whole chicken and place some inside a keto grilled cheese. Add some avocado inside too and you have a cheesy, extra creamy, loaded grilled cheese.
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then preheat to 350 degrees F. Empty innards of chicken and tie legs together.
- Rub chicken skin with oil and sprinkle with seasoning of choice.
- Place the chicken in the basket breast side down and cook for 30 minutes.
- Flip the chicken to breast side up and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Carve and serve.
Notes
Net Carbs: 0
We made our own poultry seasoning by mixing:
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon herbs de provence
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 356
Calories from Fat 243
**% Daily Value*
Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 683mg 28%
Potassium 283mg 8%
Carbohydrates 1g 0%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 1%
Protein 27g 54%
Vitamin A 223IU 4%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 24mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%**
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
